Death of an industry then re-birth of another industry

At every step of technology progressing, some industries die and others are re-born from the ashes.

Here are some notable examples of industries that died or drastically declined, leading to the birth of entirely new industries:

1. Horse-Drawn Carriages → Automotive Industry

• Death: The mass production of automobiles (thanks to Henry Ford's assembly line in 1913) led to the decline of the horse-drawn carriage industry.

• Rebirth: The automobile industry created new sectors like auto manufacturing, road infrastructure, gas stations, and car insurance.

• Ford – Revolutionized car manufacturing with the assembly line, making automobiles affordable.

• General Motors – Innovated with different car brands for various market segments.

• Tesla – Brought electric vehicles into the mainstream, reshaping the future of automotive.

2. Printed Newspapers → Digital Media & Content Creation

• Death: The rise of the internet and social media led to the decline of traditional print newspapers and magazines.

• Rebirth: Digital media, online journalism, social media content creation, and influencer marketing replaced print as dominant news and advertising platforms.

• The New York Times – Transitioned from print to a digital-first subscription model.

• BuzzFeed – Pioneered viral, social media-driven journalism.

• Substack – Enabled independent writers to monetize their content through newsletters.

3. Blockbuster & Video Rental Stores → Streaming Services

• Death: Video rental stores like Blockbuster collapsed due to the rise of digital distribution and on-demand content.

• Rebirth: The streaming industry (Netflix, Disney+, YouTube) emerged, changing how media is consumed and monetized.

• Netflix – Went from DVD rentals to pioneering the global streaming industry.

• Hulu – Focused on ad-supported and exclusive streaming content.

• Disney+ – Leveraged its vast content library to become a major streaming competitor.

4. CDs & MP3 Players → Streaming Music Services

• Death: The iPod and MP3 era killed physical music sales, and even digital downloads saw a decline.

• Rebirth: Music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music transformed how people access and pay for music.

• Spotify – Made streaming music the standard with a subscription model.

• Apple Music – Built on iTunes’ foundation to offer a premium music streaming service.

• YouTube Music – Integrated user-generated content with official music streaming.

5. Traditional Taxi Industry → Ridesharing Apps

• Death: The taxi industry lost dominance due to inefficient pricing, poor service, and lack of technology.

• Rebirth: Uber, Lyft, and other ride-hailing apps revolutionized personal transportation, creating a gig economy around driving.

• Uber – Created the gig economy for transportation.

• Lyft – Offered an alternative, user-friendly rideshare experience.

• Didi Chuxing – Dominated ridesharing in China, acquiring Uber’s local operations.

6. Film Photography → Digital Photography & Smartphone Cameras

• Death: Kodak and film-based cameras became obsolete with the rise of digital photography.

• Rebirth: Digital cameras, smartphone photography, and social media platforms like Instagram transformed how people take and share pictures.

• Kodak (failed to adapt) – Filed for bankruptcy after failing to embrace digital early enough.

• Canon – Transitioned successfully into digital cameras and imaging.

• Apple – Revolutionized photography with high-quality smartphone cameras.

7. Brick-and-Mortar Retail → E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces

• Death: Large department stores and shopping malls saw a decline due to the rise of online shopping.

• Rebirth: Amazon, Shopify, and direct-to-consumer brands reshaped retail with fast shipping, subscription models, and targeted ads.

• Amazon – Became the dominant online retailer and logistics powerhouse.

• Shopify – Empowered small businesses to create e-commerce stores.

• Alibaba – Led China’s e-commerce revolution with B2B and consumer marketplaces.

8. Coal Mining → Renewable Energy Industry

• Death: Coal use declined due to environmental concerns and cleaner energy sources.

• Rebirth: The renewable energy sector (solar, wind, battery storage) has seen massive growth, supported by technological advancements and policy shifts.

• Tesla (SolarCity) – Expanded into solar energy and battery storage.

• NextEra Energy – Became the world’s largest producer of wind and solar energy.

• Vestas – A global leader in wind turbine production.

9. Landline Telephones → Mobile Phones & Smartphones

• Death: Landlines became nearly obsolete as mobile phones became the primary communication tool.

• Rebirth: The smartphone industry expanded into mobile apps, social networking, and mobile payments, creating new economic ecosystems.

• Apple – Revolutionized the industry with the iPhone.

• Samsung – Became a global smartphone leader with Android devices.

• Nokia (failed to adapt) – Lost dominance after failing to compete in the smartphone era.

10. Printed Maps → GPS & Navigation Apps

• Death: Physical maps and standalone GPS devices lost relevance.

• Rebirth: Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps transformed how people navigate, integrating AI, real-time traffic, and local business discovery.

• Google Maps – Set the standard for mobile navigation and local search.

• Waze – Crowdsourced traffic data for real-time updates.

• Garmin – Shifted from GPS devices to software integrations and fitness wearables.

11. Cable TV → Subscription-Based & Ad-Supported Streaming

• Death: Traditional cable TV subscriptions declined due to expensive bundles and inflexibility.

• Rebirth: Subscription-based and ad-supported streaming services (HBO Max, Netflix, YouTube) revolutionized how content is delivered and consumed.

• Netflix – Led the charge in streaming, replacing traditional cable TV.

• YouTube – Dominated user-generated and ad-supported content.

• HBO Max – Transitioned premium cable content into a streaming model.

12. Traditional Banking → FinTech & Crypto

• Death: Traditional banking, with its slow processes and fees, became less attractive.

• Rebirth: FinTech startups, digital banking (like Revolut & Chime), and cryptocurrency platforms (like Bitcoin, Ethereum) disrupted the financial industry.

• PayPal – Pioneered online payments and digital wallets.

• Square (Block, Inc.) – Revolutionized small business payments and finance.

• Coinbase – Brought cryptocurrency trading to mainstream users.

13. Malls & Shopping Centers → Warehousing & Fulfillment Centers

• Death: Malls have been closing due to the decline in in-person shopping.

• Rebirth: Many former mall spaces have been repurposed into fulfillment centers for online retailers or entertainment hubs.

• Amazon (Fulfillment Centers) – Converted former malls into high-speed distribution hubs.

• Prologis – Specializes in logistics real estate for e-commerce companies.

• Walmart – Repurposed physical stores into fulfillment centers for online orders.

14. Fax Machines → Cloud-Based Communication

• Death: Fax machines lost relevance with the rise of email, instant messaging, and document-sharing platforms.

• Rebirth: Cloud-based tools like Slack, Zoom, and Google Drive replaced traditional office communication methods.

• Slack – Reinvented workplace communication with instant messaging and integrations.

• Zoom – Made video calls the norm for businesses and individuals.

• Dropbox – Provided cloud-based document storage and sharing.

15. Print Advertising → Social Media & Influencer Marketing

• Death: Newspapers and magazines, once advertising powerhouses, declined as people moved online.

• Rebirth: Social media advertising and influencer marketing (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) have become dominant forms of digital advertising.

• Facebook (Meta) – Built a billion-dollar ad business through targeted social ads.

• Instagram – Created the influencer marketing industry.

• TikTok – Transformed short-form video content into a new form of digital advertising.